Toms River

The Toms River is a freshwater river and estuary in Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States. The Toms River rises in the Pine Barrens of northern Ocean County and flows southeast and east, fed by several branches, in a meandering course through area wetlands, emptying into Barnegat Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, and the Intracoastal Waterway at Mile 14.6. Geography Much of the headwaters of the Toms River is in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The lower of the river is a broad tidal estuary navigable within the community of Toms River. It empties into the west side of Barnegat Bay, with mid-channel depths of . At , the Toms River subwatershed is the largest drainage area of any river in the Barnegat Bay watershed. It includes 11 municipalities in Ocean County, along with portions of southwestern Monmouth County.